[kictanet] It's a new twist for Econet Wireless

[Alex Gakuru]

All:

My parting shot on the Econet kerfuffle and I speak
forthright, without fear or favour without beating
about the bush.   

The performance of the Kenya Communications Commission
as a referee of telecommunications will have a serious
bearing on the growth and vibrancy of the industry as
a regulator. The slow growth of telecommunications
sector, particularly the mobile telephony in Sub-
Sahara Africa, is partly attributed to lack of strong
and independent regulators.

This prompted us to question the further dilution of
little regulator independence under the KCA Amendment
Bill at Safari Park recently.

Consider this licensing example:

"Though the CCK grants frequencies to applicants, the
actual licensing is done by the Ministry of
Information and Communications. The Ministry has the
mandate to evaluate and licence all broadcasting
applications and to register all film and production
agents in Kenya."
<http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/trust/pdf/AMDI/kenya/amdi_kenya_full_report.pdf>

In short, the regulator is independent,
hypothetically.

An isolate Waiyaki Way building is fronted for the
"independence" when in reality government big guns run
the show in the shadows, controlling communication
through their "long strings". This should be changed,
unless the status quo is meant to hand the "correct"
individuals and the powerful, through proxies, this
lucrative, or should I say, consumer exploitative
telecom industry - the very reason our Consumer
Protection effort has been veryfrustrated since
November 2005 to date! (Actually, robbed Kshs 2,000/= 
by the government this far and no hope of receiving
our registration certificate, maybe 3 months to
elections?)

What is with obsession with foreign investors; with
the exclusion of Kenyans abroad (a.k.a. diaspora),
able local participation (e.g. also sell TELKOM to
"foreigners"), indigenous ICT entrepreneurs,
co-ops,et. al. Perhaps it is because allowing local
ownership would force total shareholders disclosure
when the corrupt fashion is to turn to funny islands
in UK....What next? "Foreign Telkom investors, will be
registered in some Indian ocean islands?  

On the watch list should be whoever "foreign
investors" attempting to fold the TEAMS fibre cable
into their pockets. In January 2007, at Westlands
someone asked the "leaders" to own up and say
"corruption runs in their blood". Further, maddening
our representatives   are now silenced with 60m
"retirement package"! Hmmm..     

Why have academic arguments when the cranks of the
matter is staring at us? These laws being crafted
first   ensure the sum total of the equation, ICT will
continue to benefit and remain in the hands of a few
and freedom to express differing opinion will be a
hollow shell-all round!

Dr. Ndemo absorb the "ugly government" punches because
of so called "collective responsibility" and the
Official Secrets Act is still applicable. I know you
to be a fine God fearing son of this soilo. I am
certain Wahome Mutahi would have made a good piece of
this saga  , far from over.

Adjourned from discussion.


Alex Gakuru


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